Multi-link independent suspension for vehicle, and vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12275286-B2
Application number	US-202218059487-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Apr 15, 2025
Grant date	Apr 15, 2025

Abstract

The disclosure relates to the technical field of vehicles, and particularly provides a multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle that includes a subframe and a steering knuckle. In order to solve the problem of reduced adjustment efficiency caused by mutual restraining of linkages of an existing multi-link independent suspension when a camber angle is adjusted, the multi-link independent suspension includes a spring control arm that is configured to adjust a camber angle of a wheel center. The multi-link independent suspension also includes a front upper control arm and a rear upper control arm. A central axis of the front upper control arm intersects with a central axis of the rear upper control arm at a Q point, and the Q point has the same coordinate as the wheel center in an X direction; and a motion centerline between the front upper control arm and the rear upper control arm coincides with a projection of a central axis of the spring control arm on an XY plane, so that a movement of the spring control arm has no effect on an upper control arm system when the camber angle is being adjusted. The steering knuckle only rotates about an X axis so as to drive a tire to rotate about the X axis, so that a camber angle of the tire can be adjusted without changing a toe-in angle, thereby reducing the number of affected linkages and simplifying the adjustment in the camber angle of the tire.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle that has a subframe and a steering knuckle, the multi-link independent suspension comprising:
a front upper control arm, a rear upper control arm and a spring control arm, wherein:
a first end of each of the front upper control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm is pivotally connected to the subframe and a second end of each of the front upper control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm is pivotally connected to the steering knuckle;
the second end of the spring control arm is arranged below the steering knuckle, and the second end of the front upper control arm and the second end of the rear upper control arm are respectively arranged above the steering knuckle;
the spring control arm is configured to move back and forth in the direction along a central axis of the spring control arm to drive the steering knuckle to rotate so as to adjust a camber angle of a wheel center;
a central axis of the front upper control arm intersects with a central axis of the rear upper control arm at a Q point, and the Q point has a coordinate that is the same as a coordinate of the wheel center in an X direction of the vehicle;
a rotation axis of the first end of the front upper control arm intersects with a rotation axis of the first end of the rear upper control arm at a P point;
a connecting line between the P point and the Q point is defined as a motion centerline PQ between the front upper control arm and the rear upper control arm; and
the motion centerline PQ coincides with a projection of the central axis of the spring control arm on an XY plane of the vehicle, so that when the spring control arm moves, the front upper control arm and the rear upper control arm remain stationary.

2. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising a front lower control arm and a toe-in adjustment arm, wherein:
a first end of each of the front lower control arm and the toe-in adjustment arm is pivotally connected to the subframe, and a second end of each of the front lower control arm and the toe-in adjustment arm is pivotally connected to the steering knuckle;
the second end of the front lower control arm is arranged below the steering knuckle and located in front of the spring control arm; and
the toe-in adjustment arm is configured to move the steering knuckle so as to adjust a toe-in angle of the wheel center.

3. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein a rotation axis of the first end of the spring control arm intersects with a rotation axis of the first end of the front lower control arm at an M point, and the central axis of the spring control arm intersects with a central axis of the front lower control arm at an N point;
a connecting line between the M point and the N point is defined as a motion centerline MN of a control arm combination that includes the front upper control arm, the front lower control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm; and
the motion centerline MN of the control arm combination that includes the front upper control arm, the front lower control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm is parallel to a central axis of the toe-in adjustment arm, and a rotation center of the second end of the toe-in adjustment arm has a coordinate that is the same as a coordinate of the wheel center in a Z direction of the vehicle.

4. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein an angle a between the rotation axis of the first end of the front upper control arm and the rotation axis of the first end of the rear upper control arm is approximately between 30° and 45°, an angle b between the rotation axis of the first end of the spring control arm and the rotation axis of the first end of the front lower control arm is approximately between 45° and 60°, and the sum of the angle a and the angle b is approximately 90°±10°.

5. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 2 , further comprising a stabilization rod which is fixed to the subframe and which is rotatable about a first axis, an end portion of the stabilization rod being pivotally connected to the steering knuckle.

6. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the stabilization rod comprises a rear stabilization rod having two ends and one or more stabilization rod links, wherein the rear stabilization rod is fixed to a rear side of the subframe and the rear stabilization rod is rotatable about the first axis, each of the two ends of the rear stabilization rod respectively located on either side of the subframe and pivotally connected to one of the one or more stabilization rod links at one end of the connected stabilization rod link, an opposite end of the connected stabilization rod link pivotally connected to the steering knuckle, and connecting points of the second ends of the front upper control arm, the front lower control arm, the rear upper control arm, the spring control arm and the toe-in adjustment arm to the steering knuckle are all located on an inner side of a connecting point of the connected stabilization rod link to the steering knuckle, such that a distance from the wheel center to each of the connecting points is greater than the distance from the wheel center to the connecting point of the connected stabilization rod link to the steering knuckle.

7. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein a plane defined by the central axis of the front upper control arm and the central axis of the rear upper control arm is parallel to the XY plane.

8. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the second end of the front lower control arm and the second end of the spring control arm are respectively located in front and back of a drive shaft.

9. The multi-link independent suspension for a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein an eccentric bolt is coupled between the spring control arm and the subframe.

10. A vehicle, comprising:
a subframe;
a steering knuckle; and
a multi-link independent suspension, comprising a front upper control arm, a rear upper control arm and a spring control arm, wherein:
a first end of each of the front upper control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm is pivotally connected to the subframe and a second end of each of the front upper control arm, the rear upper control arm and the spring control arm is pivotally connected to the steering knuckle;
the second end of the spring control arm is arranged below the steering knuckle, and the second end of the front upper control arm and the second end of the rear upper control arm are respectively arranged above the steering knuckle;
the spring control arm is configured to move back and forth in the direction along a central axis of the spring control arm to drive the steering knuckle to rotate so as to adjust a camber angle of a wheel center;
a central axis of the front upper control arm intersects with a central axis of the rear upper control arm at a Q point, and the Q point has a coordinate that is the same as a coordinate of the wheel center in an X direction of the vehicle;
a rotation axis of the first end of the front upper control arm intersects with a rotation axis of the first end of the rear upper control arm at a P point;
a connecting line between the P point and the Q point is defined as a motion centerline PQ between the front upper control arm and the rear upper control arm; and
the motion centerline PQ coincides with a projection

Assignees

• Nio Technology Anhui Co Ltd

Inventors

• Xu Zhe
• Wang Haibo
• Wang Dongdong
• Chen Biao
• Dai Jun
• Han Xu

Classifications

• B62D17/00

  Means on vehicles for adjusting camber, castor, or toe-in · CPC title

• B60G2204/148

  on the unsprung part of the vehicle, e.g. wheel knuckle or rigid axle · CPC title

• B60G2200/46

  camber angle · CPC title

• B60G2200/184

  Assymetric arrangements · CPC title

• B60G7/008

  Attaching arms to unsprung part of vehicle (B60G7/005, B60G7/006 take precedence) · CPC title